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Eye diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine diseases. Eye damage in people with diabetes mellitus is one of the key causes of blindness in developed economies.
The fear of losing sight pursues such people for the whole life. However, combined use of operative and laser methods returns the vision to previously incurable patients.

Retinal damage (diabetic retinopathy) is the most severe and frequent complication of diabetes mellitus. This problem may develop almost in any patient, regardless of the diabetes type and treatment conducted. The only method to cease this process is a surgery.

TREATMENT

Conservative treatment is based on various medications that strengthen vessel walls, resolve hemorrhages, fat and protein deposits in the retina, improve the metabolism and blood supply to the eyes.

However, the practice shows that numerous medications cannot stop the progression of the disease and must be used as ancillary measures.

Surgical treatment of diabetes patients requires a special approach, as their tissues heal significantly worse and more slowly due to impairment of all types of metabolism. It is also important to take into account the features of the disease as a whole and not to focus on only one disease caused by diabetes mellitus.

Diabetic retinopathy is treated by a surgery – vitrectomy, which is performed to remove the altered vitreous body and scarred tissue from the retinal surface in order to release its tensioning and detachment. In some cases the removed vitreous body is replaced by saline solution. In other cases perfluororganic compound (PFC) is injected. In especially severe cases the scarring process may affect inner layers of the retina. Therefore, it is required to put silicone into the eye cavity. It is necessary to minimize the inner scarring of the retina with subsequent detachment. If the follow up does not reveal recurrent scarring of the retina, the silicon is removed.

The surgery is made under general or local anesthesia using an operating microscope. Surgical rooms for vitrectomy surgeries are fitted with the most modern equipment of the best producers.
In the morning of the day when the surgery is made pupil dilation drops are used. You can also be offered a mild sedative to help you relax and relieve anxiety.

In the surgical room, you will be attended by a surgeon, his/her assistant, an operating room nurse, an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist.

Vitrectomy

The total treatment period is 14 days (preoperative examination 2-3 days, surgery – on the 4th day, postoperative follow up – 5 days).

A 15-year experience of the treatment of diabetic retinopathy by the CSTC’s surgeons show that early removal of the altered vitreous body at initial retinal damage stops the disease for many years.

The Eye Microsurgery CSTC is constantly developing new treatment methods for eyes affected by diabetes. Many surgeries are unique and help to preserve vision to people previously doomed to complete blindness who were considered hopeless. Learn more here how to slow down the progression of retinopathy, postpone or avoid the surgery.

REMEMBER: People suffering from diabetes mellitus should regularly visit their ophthalmologist to monitor the intraocular pressure and the field of vision.

DO NOT FORGET that diabetic retinopathy and its complications are just manifestations of the disease, so it is very important to monitor the progression of diabetes mellitus and control the blood sugar level.